seasons – Page 5 – University of Bristol Botanic Garden

Branching out on your choice of Christmas tree

Posted on Monday 22 December 2014Wednesday 18 December 2024 by andy.winfield

By Helen Roberts

Nothing quite captures the Christmas mood more than seeing a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Whether you choose to adorn one yourself or not, the Christmas tree is decorated and celebrated in many different countries and different nations have their own favourite species. (more…)

Fruit: the good, the bad and the ugly

Posted on Tuesday 28 October 2014Wednesday 18 December 2024 by andy.winfield

By Helen Roberts

Autumn is my favourite season. I love the colours, cooling temperatures and crispness of the air in the morning. One of the things I like most, however, is harvesting autumn fruit to use in cooking, baking and jams. So far, this autumn I have picked bucketfuls of blackberries, autumn raspberries, damsons, plums, apples, pears, quince, crabapples, rosehips and sloes. (more…)

The Native Bluebell: Britain’s favourite flower in trouble

Posted on Friday 16 May 2014Wednesday 18 December 2024 by andy.winfield

By Helen Roberts

It is a beautiful spring morning in May and I am taking my children for a walk. We are venturing to some local woods on the edge of the Mendip Hills, a stone’s throw away from our house.

The woods are secreted away in a limestone gorge. The stubby cliffs of limestone are clothed in ivy and gradually open up into a steep sided valley. A tiny stream channels through the gorge; tributaries often disappearing down sink holes. We trek across a ploughed field to the gate that lets us into the wood. (more…)

We’re gardenin’ in the rain

Posted on Tuesday 25 February 2014Wednesday 18 December 2024 by andy.winfield

By Helen Roberts

It has been unbelievably wet since the start of 2014 with England experiencing it’s wettest January since records began over 100 years ago. The Somerset levels have suffered dreadfully and huge areas are still underwater and are likely to remain so for weeks or even months to come. From where I live, on the Mendips, I have far-reaching views over to Glastonbury Tor and the Quantocks and the area of levels in between looks like the vast inland sea it once was. In most other areas, the ground is completely saturated and in some places water is bubbling up to the surface. (more…)